It is often said that attitude is gratitude. From my own personal experience, I know this is true. I have never known anyone who had a great attitude who was not also grateful for what they had. Have you?

I am an early riser, and the other morning about 5 a.m. I was thinking about this column. The thought came to me that we will be happier if we can be grateful for the small things in life. The reason is because there are so many more of them. To place things in perspective, let me say that “Every perfect gift comes from God.” (James 1:17) When we begin with this fact, everything else falls into place, especially when we know, believe and understand this.

We could begin with the gift of our five senses — Vision, Hearing, Smell, Taste and Touch. I love to see (Vision) beautiful sunsets, fantastic flowers, wildlife, the mountains, the rivers and streams, and even a smile on a child’s face. Yes, 20/20 vision is something for which I am grateful. I am also grateful for the fact I can hear (Hearing) even small indistinct sounds. I am grateful for the sound that may place me in harm’s way, like the sound of a fast-approaching, out-of-control automobile, or even the click of a gun’s hammer, the voice of an announcer who is giving the starting line-up, and the whistle of a referee who has just called a foul.

I love the taste (Taste) of wonderfully cooked food that Janis puts on the table every day, and the (Smell) of those delicious pies and cakes she makes, and also when we go out to eat, especially those things they serve at the “catfish house.” I love the touch (Touch) of a warm embrace, a sleeping blanket to keep the chill off, a car whose heater is working perfectly, and the warm sunshine on a cold day. While each of these things may appear to be very small, they are nevertheless very important to have a successful life.

Now, here are some things that are very important for being grateful. First, good health. When someone said, “When you have your health, you have just about everything,” truer words were never spoken. To have a good, well paying job is also very important, especially when we are just starting out in the world of work. For most of us, it is important to find and have the right life mate to spend our days with, and to grow old and retire with. You know the old saying, “Behind every successful man, there is a surprised mother-in-law.” However, most mothers-in-law are pleased to have a good son-in-law for her precious daughter to marry.

These final two things are also so important that most people in America take for granted. The first is “Opportunity,” of which we have more than anywhere else in the world. We have our forefathers to thank for establishing a democracy and a free-enterprise system. And the most important thing of all is “Freedom,” because it makes all the others possible.

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(Jim Davidson is an author, public speaker, syndicated columnist, and Founder of the Bookcase for Every Child project. Since its inception in the Log Cabin Democrat in 1995, Jim’s column has been self-syndicated in over 375 newspapers in 35 states. For a personalized copy of “Your Future Begins Today” send $20, which includes postage and handling, to Jim Davidson, 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)